Kiki's Bistro - A Taste of Paris (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 88)

Prior to attending Chicago Shakespeare's version of Macbeth (very bloody as usual and she still hasn't gotten that troublesome spot out) we went to nearby Kiki's Bistro, which we had heard good things about. Kiki's was impressive right from the start, since the hostess sat us in a nice corner far from the window on yet another frigid Chicago night.

We started with wine by the glass. We wanted to try a French wine, so we both got French versions of Pinot Noir. Lisa had the Burgundy Pinot which she found a bit too tart, albeit light. Steve's Santenay was very dry, almost like drinking air; lesson learned - stick to American Pinots. Anyway, for our first food course we decided to warm up with soup. Steve's onion soup was great - very cheesy with the sort of strong oniony flavor he likes. Lisa's grilled tomato soup was also excellent. The tomato was very tangy and it was set off nicely by sour cream.

The salads were unremarkable. We both had the goat cheese salad. The goat cheese itself tasted very fresh and smooth, but the greens were both lacking in flavor and drowned in a too powerful vinaigrette dressing. The asparagus was also too soggy. For entrees, Lisa had the pepper steak, which was New York with a peppercorn sauce. The steak was cooked a perfect medium rare and had a good flavor, but there was a bit too much sauce for Lisa's tastes. Steve had the duck, which consisted of the breast and the leg. The leg was excellent, crispy, tasty and juicy. The breast, however, was too chewy and was undercooked even though he ordered medium instead of medium rare for just that purpose.

Desserts were fantastic. Steve's lemon tart was tangy and tasted just as he would have hoped. Lisa's profiteroles were plentiful, pretty and the best she's ever tasted (dark enough on the chocolate with great homemade ice cream with unsweetened cocoa sprinkled over it). She also liked her taste of Steve's lemon tart.

The bathrooms were very chic and very french. We loved the design but both thought the floors were a bit grimey (obviously they are truly going for reality here).

Kiki's was an overall great experience, right from the free valet parking to the nice room with french paintings behind the windowpanes, to the professional service to the great desserts (we each had 3 or 4 alternative choices) to the very reasonable price. While nothing (except maybe the dessert) was spectacular here, everything was very good, and this is well worth a visit.

The total bill, with wine by the glass, was, as noted, a very reasonable $155.

Our ratings for Kiki's Bistro 900 N. Franklin Street, Chicago

7.5 of 10 Berets; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes